Furthering Thoughts for May 17th 2019

“Dad you owe me!” This seems to be the repetitive sentiment these days. As a family, we are in that time where the children are starting to lose their baby teeth. Abe and Zoey’s teeth seem to be falling out at a fast pace, as the permanent ones are trying to come in. Tooth after tooth, they approach me and simply say, “Dad you owe me! Where is my tooth fairy money?”

And quickly I say, “I don’t owe you anything because it’s a gift. Gifts are given, not earned or deserved”. Then I have no choice 🙂 but to compare these gifts to the Gospel and the gift of Christ. And soon enough, the eye rolls commence and the kids respond, “Yea, Yea, We know, Dad”.

But isn’t that right? The Gospel is a gift. As St Paul says in Romans 12:3, “for by grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think with sober judgment”. Everything is given by God. Ultimately it is the gift of Christ who by His grace came to be the gift of all gifts: the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths who would only grow up to wrap the whole world in His hands by His sacrifice, the Crucifixion upon the Cross.

Dwelling upon the gift of grace is one of true thanksgiving and joy. Knowing that the shedding of Jesus body and blood on the Cross was not earned nor deserved. Rather, by His love for us, Jesus died in our place to be the Savior for our sins.

It is through the redemption of Christ that we have been given the joy of serving and loving in His name. I will be the first to admit that I could never fill the shoes of Lebron James or the cleats of Mike Nelson Trout. It just won’t happen! God did not give me the gifts and talents to be a legendary athlete. Nor could I ever be an engineer, or a scientist because God did not gift me with those talents.

“If service , in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching, the one who exhorts in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” Romans 12:7-8

We all have gifts and talents. Whatever that may be, [serving, teaching, exhorting, contributing, leading, or acts of mercy] may the light of Christ shine through as you love and serve according to your God-given vocation. Husband, Wife, Father, Mother, child, neighbor, co-worker, friend, student, acquaintance….there is much to be done in the glory of His name. May it be one of great joy and privilege to love and serve in the name of the risen Christ!

Amen.